Mica-separating machine



July 22, 1929. L. T. FREDERICK 1,722,082

MI CA SEPARAT ING MACHINE Filed Dec. 29; 1926 OOOOOO & [NVENTOR Lou/sTFREDER/ CK Flgure'l Patented July 23, 1929.

U N l T if orrlce. I

LOUIS T. FREDERICK, OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS,

TO CHICAGO MEGA COMPANY, OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF IN-DIANA.

MICA-SEPARATING l Application filed December 29, 1926. Serial No.157,805.

tensively, among other things, for making.

mica plate, an article having a high dielectric coeflicient andconsisting of flakes arranged in overlapping, relation and cementedtogether by shellac or other binder: The quality of the flakes dependsupon their size and thinness, it being desirable, for example, to

produce flakes which may measure in the neighborhood of an inch and ahalf across and of a thickness of a few thousandths of an inch,sometimes as low as three-thousandths. The general object of my presentinvention is to provide mechanism for taking mica blocks or plates ofconsiderable size and thickness and producing from them mica flakes ofthe character just mentioned. My

present invention also resides partly in. the method by which thisobject is carried out.

As contributing to the general object of the invention, it is my purposeto provide advantageous means for expanding the mica blocks, and in themechanism illustrated this is accomplished by means for automaticallyarranging the blocks in a single layer upon a traveling conveyer, whichpasses through a heater and causes the blocks to be heated from allsurfaces simultaneously. Another object is to provide means for furtherloosening the blocks by causing them to fall through a duct providedwith heaters which loosen the 5 laminae and promote the act ofseparation.

Another ancillary object is to provide pneumatic means, includingtraveling members,

' for pulling the blocks apart. A further ancillary object is to providemeans for divid- 40 ing into a plurality of streams the particlesleaving the pneumatic pulling mechanism. A still further object is toprovide means for further subdividing the particles in, the

' streams thus produced. Attention is called to my copending applicationSerial N 0. 139,288 filed October 4, 1926 in which the machine andmethod having characteristics somewhat analogous are shown. p Iaccomplish my object by the mechanism and in the manner illustratedinthe accompanying drawing which i 0 a general assembly view chiefly insectional elevation showing the apparatus as a whole.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 Figure 1. v

' Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view through the non-rotating drumtaken transversely through their axes.

Like numerals denote like parts throughout the several views.

In the form selected to illustrate the invention the mica blocks arefirst introduced into a receptacle formed chiefly by a platform 10 andan approximately vertical wall 12. The mica blocks may or may not bepreviously soaked in steam, water or other fluid. They are to besubsequently heated as will be presently described, and in certain casesthe heat may expand theblocks better if they have beenpreviously-soaked, although an expanding etfect will be produced eventhou h they have not been previously soaked, pro

ably due to the fact that traces of air or moisture are usually occludedwithin the body of the blocks.

Forming one side of the receptacle, for receiving the mica blocks, is anon-rotating drum 14 having a duct 16 through which air is constantlybeing'withdrawn. The side 18 of this drum nearest the wall 12 isforaminated or otherwise made pervious to air with w the result thatthere is a constant inward suction of air through the side of the drumand 1 in throu h the si e of the drum-: 14 induces a suction t ro1ighthescreen belt 20, and this causes blocks of mica to bepickedup out of thereceptacle .10, 12 and caused to adhere to belt 20. The result isthatthe blocks will adhere to the screen belt practically in a single layer.

"A heater is located between the drum 14 and pulle 22 for heating andexpanding the mica bloc In the form shown it consists of burner pipes 26enclosed in a shallow pan or casing 28 located just beneath the upperrun of the screen lying the screen As reviousl intimated the blocks inassing through the eater or oven are expan ed and the laminae loosened,rendering them much more susceptible to their subsequent treatment ofagitation and separation.

A chute 34 is located in osition to receive the blocks falling from tWithin this chute at a lower point are revolving beater arms 36 drivenby a belt 38.

At 'the bottom of the chute 34 are two screen belts 40', 42, which arepervious to air and pass around two non-rotating drums 44, 46. These arearranged parallel and adjacent to each other, although not in actualcontact. The portions facing each other, that is, the contiguousportions, are located approximately in line with the middle chute belowthe lower end thereof and are foraminous. Air is constantly exhaustedfrom them through a duct 48 leading to the inlet of an 7 exhaust fan 50driven by a motor Mor other suitable source of power.

The screen belts 40, 42 are endless and at their lower end pass aroundsprockets 52, 54 cross connected by means of sheaves 56 and a belt 58.The belts 40, 42 have sprocket chains 60 fastenedto their edges forstrengthening and driving them as shown in detail in Figure of thescreen belts 2. To promote smooth operation sprocket wheels 62 areprovided, arranged concentrically with the drums 44, 46, as illustratedin detail in. Figure 3. These sprocket wheelsare provided with ballbearings 64 on the hubs 66, of the drums. Driving power may be furnishedin any suitable manner. In the resent instance the sprocket 52 is drivenby a t from a sheave 72 which may be motor driven and operates insynchronism with a sheave 74 which drives the belt 38 previouslymentioned. v

I When the mica flakes in'chute 34 drop into the throat formed theproximate portions Beneat the divider boards the pneumaticseparatingmechanism is duplicated so that the flakes of each streamshall be further subdivided. This is accomplished by-screen belts belt20, and ,a hood 30 over-' belt to conserve the heat, the gases finallypassing out through a flue 32.

e screen belt 20.

, 42 the tendency is for pulled apart y inclined divider boards 76, 78which apex 80, 82,84, 86 which pass over and around drums 88, 90, 92 and94 respectively. The

driving and guiding 'mecahnism for these which is a companion to thesheave the heaters 36 and all the screen I ering the separated micaflakes into a receptacle 100.

To summarize the operation, the base 10,

wall 12 and adjacent side of the foraminated curved plate or drumsection 18 virtually form a hopper into which the soaked or unsoakedmica blocks may be introduced. Suction draws the adjacent blocks intocontact with the approximately vertical portion of the screen conveyorbelt 20. ,The blocks then r1 e up the moving belt where the willthereafter 'sta by gravit The bloc will-automatica arrange t emselvesractically in a sinle' ayer for the reason at after one block as beensucked into contact with the beltit will cutoff the air within itsborders and while there may be some overlappin of blocks it will'not beexcessive. As a res t, as

the blocks .pass into the heater they will be subjected toheat on allsides, which will cause the blocks to expand and the laminaeto beloosened. The movement of belt 20 finally brings the loosened blocks tothe tower 34 where they will be subjected to the action of the beaterarms 36. This mechanically loosens the laminae still further and in manycases will actually split the blocks into' thinner'blocks. After passingthe beater arms the blocks drop into the thrdat formed by the proximateportions of the screen belts 40, 42 and are pneumatically pulled. apartby them.-

onto the upperhorizontahportion of ion Soon thereafter the split blocksleave the screenbelts and are diverted laterally into' the .dividerboards kes are again subdivided by 'similar'mechanism.

two separate streams 76, 78 after which the a As a result of the oeration of mg mecha nism and method the b ocks will be t orough- 1yloosened and the flakes spearated from each other. If the desiredthinness of mica flakes has not been attained b passing the blockthrough the apparatus t e first time the ma terial may, of course, bepassed through one or. more times again. The action, however, s

uite thorough owing, among other things, to the difi'erent characters ofaction to which the mica blocks are subjected and to the fact that theblocks are pneumatically divided andthen subdivided without leaving themachine. It will be evident, however, that some of the elements, forexample, the second set of pneumatic subdividers may be omitted withoutrendering the apparatus inoperative.

Having thus described my invention, what i I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a mica treating machine, a foraminous traveling belt, means forcausing a block of mica to adhere to it, and means for exerting anoutward pull on the outward lamination of the block.

2. In a mica treating machine, a foraniinous conveyor, means for causinga block of mica to adhere to said conveyor, means for separating aportion from said block, and means for similarly treating said portion.

3. In a mica treating machine, two endless belts pervious to air, saidbelts being substantially tangential at one part of the travel, andmeans for drawing air inward through said belts at their point oftangence for pulling apart mica blocks enterin between them.

4. In a mica treating mac ine,'a non-rotating drum havingla portionwhich is per vious to air, means for drawing air in through the perviousportion of the drum,

means for causing mica to be temporarily held adjacent to the perviousportion of the drum, and means for simultaneously. exerting suctionagainst the outer surface of the mica for separating the outer portionfrom the inner portion.

5. In a mica treating machine a non-rotating drum having a portionwhichis peryione to air, means for drawing air in through the perviousportionpf the drum, a pervious traveling belt passsing over theperviousportion of the drum, means for conveying mica to the belt to cause it toadhere thereto while passing over the pervious portion of the drum,

a second belt pervious to air passing adjacent to the first belt at thepoint where the latter passes over the previous portion of the drum,

' the second belt traveling thence in a direction away from the firstbelt, and means for creating a tendency for the mica to adhere to thesecond belt at the above described point where it passes adjacent to thefirstbelt.

' 6. In a mica treating machine a pair of air pervious conveyors whosepaths are approximately tangential at one point and thence diver e,means for creating a tendency'for a mica lock to adhere to both of saidconveyors at their point of tangency to split the block, and means forcausing the severalportions of the mica 'to thereafter travel separatepaths.

7 Ina mica treating machine, two endless belts pervious to air, saidbelts bein approximately tan'gent at one point, and t ence diverging,means for drawing air through said belts in opposite directions at thepoint of approximate tangency and for a slight distance beyond, andmeans for supplying mica blocks to'said belts they are approachingtangency. 8. In a mica treating machine,

neath said means for point of at-a point where two endless matelytangential at one point, and thence diverging, means for drawing airthrough said belts in opposite directions at the point of approximatetangency and for a slight distance beyond, and means for'preloosemngblocks of mica and supplying them to said belts at the point oftangency.

9. In a mica treating machine, means for loosening the laminae of micablocks, means for pulling the laminae apart and then dropping them, andmeans beneath the last mentioned means for dividin the dropping laminaeinto a plurality of dliferent pat s.

10. In a mica treating machine, screens traveling in the same generaldirection and closely together at one point and thence diverging, andmeans for creating vacuum on the remote surfaces of said screens at thepoint of approximate tangency for pulling the laminae of a mica blockapart.

11. In a mica treating machine, screen belts traveling downward andclosely together at one point and thence diver 'ng, means for creatingsuction through said elts in opposite directions'at said point, and adivider beneath said point having walls slanting downward and outward indifferent directions for dividing the dropping mica intotwo streams.

12. In a mica treating machine, pneumatic means for pulling the surfacelaminae of mica blocks in opposite directions and simultaneouslyadvancing them in a generally downward direction but in diverging pathsand then releasing them, and means apexing beguiding the dropping flakesin difierent-directions.

13. In a mica treating machine a pair of traveling belts pervious toair, means for guiding them along a path which first converges to bringthe paths substantially tangential and then diverging, and means forsupplying mica blocks to said belts at the approximate tangency tocreate suctionin o posite directions on the outer surfaces of the blocksfor splitting them.

14. .In a mica treating machine a pair of traveling belts pervious toair, means for guiding them along a path which first conbring the pathssubstantially tanverges to then diverging, means for supgential andplying mica of approximate opposite directions on the outer surfaces ofthe blocks for splitting them, the belts traveling downward at the pointof approximate tangency, means for causing the mica splittings to travelin divergentpaths from the belt, and similar splittin means in at least.one of said divergent pat s.

Inwitness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

blocks to said belts at the point tangency to create suction 1n LOUIS-T.FREDERICK; f

